Tim Cook Lends Name to LGBT Legislation

Published Dec 4, 2014 at 9:07 PM

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Apple chief executive Tim Cook agreed to lend his name to LGBT anti-discrimination bill in his native state of Alabama.

Cook, who came out publicly as gay earlier this year, agreed to legislators using his name on the bill that could prevent discrimination against state employees based on sexual orientation, according to Reuters. Alabama state Rep. Patricia Todd said that Apple wasn't immediately on board with the idea but later Cook agreed.

"Nobody could have scripted this," Todd, who plans to introduce her bill in March, told Reuters. "I never in a million years would have expected it."

Todd said that she wanted to use Cook's name on the bill as soon as she heard he came out in October. Although she was initially contacted by an Apple official who seemed worried about the possibility. Later, she was contacted by the company's general counsel who said Cook was "delighted" to lend his name to the bill. The bill would bar "discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender school teachers and other state employees."

However, once the backlash began against Apple not jumping at the chance to be part of groundbreaking legislation, it hurried to backtrack from its previous reluctance and released a statement:

Tim was honored to hear that State Rep. Todd wanted to name an anti-discrimination bill after him, and we're sorry if there was any miscommunication about it. We have a long history of support for LGBT rights and we hope every state will embrace workplace equality for all.

Apparently Apple isn't as forward-thinking as its chief executive, and in the end, it was Tim Cook who agreed to be part of the new legislation and not Apple's public relations machine.